Giancarlo Esposito was struggling financially until he landed the role of a lifetime on Breaking Bad.
Esposito, who played Gus Fring on the hit AMC series, reached a low point in his life in 2008 and considered planning his own murder so his family could receive life insurance money.
“The thought in my head was, ‘Hey, if someone commits suicide, are they going to get life insurance? Are they going to be able to earn bread?'” he said on SiriusXM’s show He said this while appearing on “Jim & Sam.” “Her wife said, ‘That’s a bit difficult’…She didn’t understand why I was asking this.
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“Breaking Bad” star Giancarlo Esposito almost took drastic measures to support his family before finding fame on TV. (Getty Images)
“I’m just starting my plot. If someone hits me and I die due to some unfortunate incident, they’ll insure me.
“I had four children. I wanted them to have a life. Like, it was a tough time. I literally considered self-annihilation in order for them to survive. That much. I was depressed.”
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Even though he was facing bankruptcy and enduring emotional pain, he couldn’t bear the thought of hurting his family.
Giancarlo Esposito played drug lord Gus Fring on the show. (Getty Images)
“That was the first hint that there was a way out. But I’m not going to be here to help out or be a part of it or be there for the kids,” Esposito said. Told.
“Then I started thinking that it wasn’t real. The pain I was inflicting on them was going to last a lifetime, it would be a lifelong trauma, and it would only magnify the intergenerational trauma that I was trying to escape from.” So there was light at the end of the tunnel.”
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Esposito’s portrayal of a corrupt drug lord earned him an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 2012, opening the door to new career opportunities.
Breaking Bad debuted in 2008, starring Bryan Cranston as Walter White, a chemistry teacher turned drug dealer. (Getty Images)
“Breaking Bad” premiered in 2008, starring Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, and Anna Gunn. The drug drama was regularly nominated for awards and won him 16 Emmy Awards by the time it ended airing in 2013.
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Esposito went on to star in The Mandalorian, The Boys, Revolution, and Once Upon a Time. Her performance in the Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul earned her two Emmy nominations.
